Oh, them flowers back in the Victorian times, well, they weren’t just for lookin’ pretty, no sir. Folks back then had all kinds of ways to say things without even usin’ words, and flowers were a big part of it. They called it somethin’ fancy, “floriography,” but that’s just a big word for using flowers to talk, really. Now, you might think it’s a bit odd, but that’s how they did things back then.
So, let’s say someone wanted to show they loved you, well, they’d send a lily your way. Especially them white ones. It meant you was beloved. Ain’t that somethin’? A flower doin’ all that talkin’ for you. And it wasn’t just lilies, no. Every flower had a meanin’. Like them forget-me-nots, for example. If you was goin’ away, they’d give you a little bunch of them to say, “Don’t forget me, now!” Real sweet, right?
But hold on now, there’s more to it than just love and sweetness. Some flowers weren’t all about good things. If someone gave you a yellow carnation, well, it meant they was disappointed in you. A whole different message, huh? And roses, oh boy, them roses were special. Red ones meant love, but if you got a yellow one, it meant jealousy. And people think roses are just for romance!
In them times, folks had to follow lots of rules. Couldn’t just go around sayin’ what they felt. So, they let the flowers do the talkin’. You give someone a posy of daffodils, and it was a way to say, “I respect you.” Or, if someone was feelin’ real grateful, they might hand over some pink roses. Ain’t it funny how even the color changed what it all meant?
- Red roses – Love
- Yellow roses – Jealousy
- Daffodils – Respect
- Forget-me-nots – Remembrance
- Lavender – Devotion
And I tell you, folks didn’t just give flowers willy-nilly. Oh no. They had fancy designs for it all. They’d arrange them in these big, overflowing bunches. Circular shapes were real popular. You know, cause a circle ain’t got no end, so it meant somethin’ lasting, I reckon. And the Victorians, they loved to decorate with flowers. You couldn’t go to no fancy event without seein’ all kinds of flowers on display, all sendin’ secret messages.
Now, let’s talk about roses again, ’cause, boy, were they important. You see, back in them days, they thought roses were the best flower in Europe. If you got a rose, it meant somethin’ real special. People even gave different roses for different reasons. Red ones were for love, but pink ones? Well, they were for happiness and admiration. White ones were for purity, and if someone gave you a black rose, well, that wasn’t good news at all!
Then there were flowers for friendship, too. Like acacia. That flower was for sayin’ you were blossom friends, like a new friendship growin’ strong. And periwinkle, well, that was for long-lasting friendship. People would send that if they wanted you to know they was always gonna be there for you, through thick and thin.
All this flower talkin’ was real handy for folks who couldn’t say much in public. The Victorians had a lot of rules about what you could and couldn’t do, especially in public. So if a fella wanted to tell a lady he liked her, well, he might send her some flowers instead of riskin’ a scandal by sayin’ it out loud. And she’d know just what he meant by what kind of flowers he gave her.
So, there you have it, flowers back in the Victorian days weren’t just for decoration. They had a whole lot of meanin’ behind ’em. Every flower could tell a story or send a message, whether it was love, friendship, respect, or even disappointment. Nowadays, we might just pick flowers cause they look nice, but back then, you had to be real careful what you gave someone. You didn’t want to send the wrong message, now did you?
Tags：[Victorian flowers, floriography, Victorian era, flower meanings, Victorian floral symbolism]
